Disappearances & Dread
by Tor Raptor
Summary: When Austin, Ally, Trish, and Dez take a trip to the Everglades, Ally, Trish, and Dez are taken by a mysterious trio of teenagers that call themselves the Raptors. Austin struggles to find them, seemingly the only person who doesn't automatically presume them dead. Will he find them, or will an unusually protective tour guide named Gator prevent him from ever finding his friends?
1. Chapter 1

**Most of you are probably here from Sharks & Shocks, if you haven't read that story, I highly recommend that you do or some of this will not make any sense whatsoever. This story was inspired by my love of survival shows, and watching stuff about alligators on TV. This first chapter contains some references to the episode Everglades and Ally-gators, so if you haven't seen that, I recommend it, but the story will still make sense without watching that. Without further a-due, here is chapter one of Disappearances & Dread**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally**

Chapter 1:

"I have big news!" Trish exclaimed, causing Austin and Dez to look up from the fan mail they were flipping through. They had still only read approximately half of it, the letters from the eastern hemisphere still remained.

"What's the news?" Austin asked, walking over to join Trish and Ally. He still limped quite noticeably, yet he somehow managed to dance flawlessly in spite of that. He also had a huge, prominent scar on his calf that sent chills down Ally's spine every time she caught a glimpse of it.

"Yeah, what's the news?" Ally questioned.

"Shiny Money invited us back to the Everglades!" she announced.

"He actually invited us back after we sank his boat last time?" Austin said sarcastically.

"We aren't going to his boat, he wouldn't let us near that thing if we paid him," Trish said, laughing, "We're going on a swamp safari!"

"That's so cool! We get to see all the wildlife in the Everglades from a safe distance!" Ally said excitedly.

"What is so dangerous in the Everglades that you need to remain a safe distance away?" Austin asked, clearly not buying the fact that the Everglades could be perilous.

"Alligators, Burmese pythons, water moccasins, Florida panthers," Ally began.

"Those animals don't attack people very often," Austin said, cutting her off.

"Well, sharks don't attack people very often, and look what happened to you!" she shouted.

"Hey!" Austin defended, reaching for his calf out of habit, "I try not to remember that!"

"Sorry," Ally said sheepishly.

"Let's hope nobody gets attacked by anything," Trish said.

"Maybe I can film a movie while we're there!" Dez said with exhilaration.

"Not after last time's Big Mama incident, you won't" Trish commanded.

"And try not to keep steaks in your pants Dez," Austin told him.

"We'll be staying in a hotel on the border of the national park and every day for a week we get to go out in an airboat and explore different areas of the swamp," Trish explained.

"Cool, I've always wanted to ride in an airboat!" Dez declared.

"I wonder if you could chop your hand off by sticking it in the propeller thing," Austin said, causing the girls to roll their eyes in annoyance.

~0~

The group entered a hotel lobby, suitcases trailing behind them.

"Wow, this place is cool," Austin said, gawking at the scene surrounding them. All around the circumference of the room, various crocodilian skins were perched on the walls, each with a small plaque beneath it. From the ceiling hung a chandelier that looked like dozens of expertly entwined snakes, the exterior ones' mouths open in a malicious hiss. In the center of the room lay a rug designed to look like a swamp environment with an algae-filled pool of water with gators, and trees surrounding it.

"I don't know whether to call it stunning or disgusting," Ally said, staring at the snake chandelier.

"Hey guys!" a voice called form across the room.

"Hey Shiny Money!" the group replied.

"Welcome to the finest hotel around the proximity of the Everglades," Shiny said, gesturing around the lobby.

"It's nice," Trish said disgustedly, "I especially love the displayed alligator skins."

"I've never seen a real alligator skin before," Dez said, walking over and reaching out to touch one.

"Don't touch anything, I don't want to have to pay for another one of your messes," Shiny commanded, causing Dez to immediately drop his hand. "And it's not a real alligator skin, they're all fake, everything you see in here that looks like an animal is just a model."

"Good," Trish sighed.

"How're y'all doin'?" asked a voice from behind the group, causing them to jump in fright.

"Gator, don't sneak up behind people. How many times have I told you this?" Shiny questioned.

"Sorry, I just wanted to meet the people I'll be a-guidin'," the man, who they now knew as Gator, said. "Hello, I'm Gator!"

"Nice to meet you Gator," Ally said hesitantly.

"Gator will be your tour guide and airboat pilot for the week," Shiny explained.

"I've been 'round these here Everglades fer twenty years 'er so," Gator said, he had a very thick accent.

"It's good that we'll be led by someone with experience," Ally said.

"Shall I show you guys your room?" Shiny asked.

"Sure, let's go," Trish answered. They walked towards the elevator and went up to the fifth floor. Once there, they stepped out of the elevator and allowed Shiny Money to show them their room.

"Room 506, finest suite in the city," Shiny said, opening the door marked 506.

"Wow," Dez said, at a loss for words.

"Being famous really pays off," Austin said.

"Yes, it does," Ally agreed.

"Your first tour with Gator is tomorrow at nine o'clock. Until then, try not to break anything," Shiny said, leaving the group to explore their room.

"This place is huge," Trish said. The suite was a huge condo with a full kitchen straight ahead. To the right of the kitchen was a decent-sized living space. Directly to the right of the entryway was a hallway with four doors leading off of it, likely to four different bedrooms. The group walked into the kitchen and began examining their surroundings.

"This place has a really strong crocodilian theme," Ally observed.

"I heard that a crocodile's bite force can be as much as five-thousand pounds," Dez said, looking at all the paintings and photographs of gators and crocs on the walls.

"I'd hate to have that mouth clamp down on me," Trish said.

"You'd hate to have any mouth clamp down on you," Austin told her, shuddering.

"I still can't get over how big this place is," Ally said. Clearly, she had noticed Austin's discomfort and had changed the subject on purpose.

"I can't believe this is a hotel room and not a house," Trish stated.

"I've never seen one this big before," Austin added.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to settle in," Trish announced, returning to the entrance and taking her suitcase into one of the bedrooms.

"I think I'll go unpack too," Ally said, following suit.

"Do you want to go see what they have in here?" Dez asked, walking into the den.

"Sure," Austin replied, following him. There was a large couch on the right side of the room in front of a bay window that looked out over the swamps. On the wall to the left was a large flat-screen television. Straight in front of them sat a small table with a set of medium-sized shark jaws, all the teeth in perfect condition.

"Cool," Dez said, immediately striding across the room to check it out.

"Well, it's not all alligators," Austin sighed, walking over to the sit on the sofa.

"It says that this is a model of the blacktip shark's jaws," Dez read.

"Interesting."

"It also says that every year, thousands of them migrate on an ocean current that runs just a few hundred yards from the shores of Miami."

"Dez, I already knew about this. Do you need to tell me something I already know?"

"That's why Miami is sometimes called the shark bite capital of the world."

"Dez, can we please not talk about this," Austin said, now clutching his left calf out of sheer nervousness. Dez, oblivious to his friend's discomfort, continued reading.

"Although, Volusia County, Florida has the more severe attacks. Austin, you have to come feel these teeth, they're like knives.

"I'm good," Austin said, now visibly sweating.

"Oh, is this uncomfortable?" Dez asked, finally realizing the nervous state of his friend.

"A little bit."

"Sorry."

"It's cool," Austin replied, releasing his leg.

"Why don't we go unpack too?" Dez suggested.

"Sounds good."

The two boys walked back through the hallway and grabbed their suitcases from the front. They entered the bedroom hallway, only to be stopped by Ally, who had just walked out of her door.

"Austin, are you okay? You look sick," Ally said concernedly.

"I'm fine, just a little tired," Austin responded.

"Okay. Well, good night," Ally said, returning to her room.

"Good night," Dez and Austin said in unison, both walking through a door to the bedrooms opposite the girls'

**Chapter 1, complete. I hope you guys liked it. Just to clarify, this will not be a repeat of the plot of Sharks & Shocks, that stuff about animals in the Everglades was not foreshadowing an attack. If anyone has any questions, feel free to leave them in a review, I'm always willing to answer.**

**Just to forewarn you, this chapter contains 4 major OCs (Gator being one of them), and 1 minor OC. That's not too much for you guys to handle, is it? Anyway, once I introduce them into the story, I'm thinking about using an idea that I got from daphrose. (she writes for Lab Rats, so if you're a fan of that also, be sure to check out her stories) I will answer questions from the perspective of the OCs, so if you're wondering about their feelings throughout the story, direct your questions at the specific character.**

**This will just be a trial run for OC questions, if it doesn't work or you guys just hate the idea, I won't bother to continue it. But if it does work, then I'll be taking questions throughout this story and the two stories after it. (Beware, there are quite a few more OCs to come in later stories, but I'll introduce them slowly to allow you time to accept the characters as part of the story.**

**Until next chapter, please read and review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's chapter 2 of Disappearances & Dread, I hope you enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally**

Chapter 2:

The group stood in the hotel lobby, each wearing hiking clothes and carrying a backpack. Gator walked in from outside, carrying a pack of his own.

"Y'all ready to go out an' explore the Everglades?" he asked, already leading them out the door and toward an airboat that was docked in a marshy river behind the hotel.

"Yeah, let's go," Ally said, following him. They arrived at the boat and Gator stopped them on the shore of the river.

"Be careful not to stick anythin' in them rotor blades while we're movin', they could pulverize almost anythin' you put in 'em," Gator explained.

"Thanks for warning us," Ally said, casting a sideways glance at Austin.

"What're we waiting for?" Trish asked, stepping into the boat and taking a seat. Dez stepped on as well, followed by Ally, Austin, and Gator.

"That's a nasty mark you got there," Gator observed.

"Huh?" Austin questioned, turning to face Gator.

"That there scar on your calf."

"Oh, that? It's nothing."

"Son, I'd a-recognize a shark bite anywhere, any time of day, it's no use tryin' to pretend it's nothin'!"

"Wow, you're good. I was, um, attacked by a bull shark a while ago."

"Ah, a bull. They're nasty ones, they are. Can live in fresh water too, the little monsters."

"Fresh water too?" Austin squeaked, gulping in fear.

"Yep, they've been seen in quite a few rivers, as far north as the Patapsco and the Ganges."

"Could they be here?" Austin questioned, pointing to the river behind them.

"Naw, it's far too marshy for sharks."

Austin stepped onto the boat and took a seat beside Ally.

"You alright?" she asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a little surprised. I had no idea that they could live in fresh water too," Austin replied.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine."

"Thanks."

"All right, I'm a-firein' up the boat. We're hopin' to catch sight of some wadin' birds down by the coast," Gator announced from the back of the boat. They heard the sound of an engine starting, followed by the hum of rotor blades, then they felt the movement of the boat as they headed down the river. After a decent journey downstream, Gator hopped off the boat and tied it to a tree.

"Now we get off an go bird watchin' on the beach. Bring yer packs an all."

The group grabbed their backpacks and hopped off the boat onto land. They trudged through the marshy swamp until they reached the coast. They sat on the sand, gazing out into that water and the tumultuous surf.

"That there is a Western Sandpiper," Gator said, pointing to a little bird hopping around in the shallows.

"Cool, I've never seen one before," Ally said. Behind her, a large bird dove out of the sky and snatched her backpack in its talons, then flew off into the forest beyond.

"Ally, a bird just flew off with your backpack," Trish stated.

"Aw man, I have my phone in there. Will you come with me to go look for it?" she asked.

"Sure," Trish answered, standing up and following Ally to the forest. "We'll be back in a few minutes guys."

"What kind of bird was that Gator?" Dez asked.

"I didn't see it, but if it was strong enough to fly off with a backpack, it was probably a bird of prey of some sort," Gator explained.

"Have you seen birds grab other things that belong to your tour groups?" Austin questioned.

"That's the first time I've heard that a bird snatched something that it wasn't planning on eating, other than crows."

"Do you think they found the backpack yet?" Dez asked.

"I don't know, maybe," Austin responded.

~0~

"Hey, there's my bag," Ally said. Ahead of the two girls was a small clearing, in the middle of which was Ally's backpack. Ally and Trish walked over to it, and Ally reached down to pick it up.

"Where did this come from?" Ally asked, fingering the vine that was tied to one of the straps. Just then, a net woven from vines spontaneously fell from the trees on top of the two girls.

"What is this?" Trish asked with surprise.

"That would be what we call a net"

"Who said that?!" the girls questioned in unison. They glanced up from under the net at the teenage boy in front of them. His clothes seemed to be made of animal pelts and they hung loosely around his skinny, yet muscular, frame. His face was tanned from what looked like years in the sun, and his knotted hair had some twigs and leaves stuck in it. What intrigued the girls the most was the majestic hawk perched on his pelt-clad forearm.

"Wh-who are you?" Ally stuttered, clearly in awe of his bedraggled appearance.

"Look what we have here Talon," the boy said to his hawk, which cawed gallantly in response.

"Are you going to answer my question?" Ally asked, "Who are you?"

"Me? Well, most call me that-crazy-homeless-dude, but those who know me call me Kite," he explained.

"Because you fly kites?" Trish asked.

"No, you imbecile! Kite is just the Raptor name I was given when my family started this whole thing."

"Huh?" they both questioned, "What does that mean?"

"My siblings and I will explain it later."

"Siblings?"

"My older brother Buzzard and older sister Osprey."

"Can you let us out of this net?" Ally asked.

"Yes, but I'll have to tie you up afterwards and confiscate your belongings. We can't have our new recruits running off, can we?" He grabbed a long vine from his back pocket and held it up to Talon, who bit it cleanly in half. He then lifted the net from the two girls and tied their hands behind their backs. He picked up Ally's backpack and held it out in front of him.

"Deliver this to the secret pile," he told Talon. What Ally and Trish saw next shocked them to the core and instigated a new fear inside of them. Talon nodded his head, a gesture of uniquely human intelligence, hopped onto Kite's outstretched arm, and flew off with Ally's pack in his talons.

"How'd you train him to do that?" Trish asked.

"Practice," Kite responded flatly, "Now, Osprey and Buzzard will want to assess you." He began ushering the two girls through a well-worn trail, picking up Trish's pack and carrying it along with them.

~0~

"Ally and Trish should be back by now," Austin said, "We should go look for them."

"Austin's right. We'll be back soon Gator," Dez said, him and Austin beginning to trek toward the forest.

"Wait. Let the redhead go. You, Austin, need to stay here," gator commanded.

"Why? It'll be dangerous for him. What if whatever got Ally and Trish gets him too?" Austin complained.

"I'm sure they're just tangled in some vines or somethin'"

"Why don't you just come with us too?" Austin suggested.

"I can't leave the boat alone."

"Fine," he finally agreed, "Dez, are you okay going alone?"

"I'll be fine," Dez said, walking off toward the woods. Once he disappeared in the distance, Austin began to talk to Gator.

"Why'd you make me stay instead of Dez?" Austin asked, clearly still concerned about the safety of his friend.

"I wanted to connect with a fellow animal attack victim," Gator said, rolling up his right sleeve to reveal a jagged scar on his forearm.

"Whoa," Austin exclaimed, "and I thought that the mark that bull shark left behind was bad!"

"Them gators let loose a mean bite when ya disturb their young."

"How'd it happen?" Austin asked curiously.

"In my younger years, I was a herpetologist. I traveled the crocodilian-inhabited world doin' research. I'd go to a nest an count the eggs. Sometimes, the mama comes back while we're workin'. I tried to fight her off, but she was a-too quick fer me. She got me right in the middle, broke both the bones in my forearm."

"Wow"

"What's yer story?"

"Well, I don't really like to talk about it."

"I shared, now it's your turn."

"Okay, fine." Austin began to tell Gator the tragic story of his attack.

**Well, what did you guys think? Why does Kite want Ally and Trish? Why did Gator make Austin stay, is it more than wanting to share stories? Who are Buzzard and Osprey? What will happen to Dez? I promise, most of these questions will be answered next chapter. (Key word: most) **

**Please leave your thoughts and any additional questions, comments, or complaints in a review, I will do my best to tend to everyone. Until then, please read and review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Answers! Answers! And more answers! Hopefully, this chapter will answer most (if not all) of your questions. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally**

Chapter 3:

"Ally! Trish! Are you out here?!" Dez called as he trudged through the marshy forest. He had found a trail cut through the thick vegetation when he had reached the edge of the forest and he had been following it ever since. Eventually, the trail opened up into a large clearing, surrounded by trees on all sides, except for the path he came on and another one across the way. A small fire sat smoldering in the dead center of the circular camp. Three tents made from what looked like animal pelts and sticks sat on the left side, their openings facing the center. Opposite the tents, a large pile of various survival necessities and random things sat, rising probably six feet tall. A hump of white meat lay on a scrap of cloth next to the fire. A girl and boy not much older than him were fiddling with and sorting a pile of plants, their back to Dez. Ally and Trish were sitting, their hands tied behind their backs, against a tree, with a menacing-looking hawk staring out over the camp, a determined look in his beady, unmoving eyes.

"Ally, Trish, why are you tied up?" Dez asked, causing the hawk to turn its fiery gaze from whatever-it-was to the redhead.

"Dez, why did you come alone?" Ally accused, "And don't be so loud, you'll attract Talon's attention." Too late, they realized as the red-tailed hawk let out the most ear-piercing screech any of the three people had ever heard in their lives.

"Gator wanted Austin to stay with him to watch over the boat," Dez yelled, ignoring Ally's previous warning and covering his ears to block out the ear-splitting cry of the hawk.

"Talon, quiet!" Kite commanded, climbing down from the canopy and holding his arm out to accept the hawk, who had thankfully stopped screaming.

"Great alarm system, don't you think?" Kite asked a terrified Dez.

"Uh, yeah," Dez answered, slowly backing away from the hawk-man.

"Don't think about going anywhere, you won't get far," Kite said.

"Why'd Talon scream this time, Kite, can't you tell him that we don't need to be alerted to every single mouse that passes through camp?" the girl asked, walking over from the pile of plants.

"Osprey, it wasn't a mouse this time. Talon was just trying to tell us that we had found our third initiate for this round," Kite explained.

"Who? This kid?" Osprey asked, gesturing to Dez.

"Yeah, do me a favor and tie him up with the others," Kite said, causing Dez to turn tail and spring back down the path. "Talon, fetch!"

This command sent the hawk after the fleeing redhead. After just a few short seconds, Talon passed Dez and flew in front of him, cutting off his escape route. Dez screamed, skidding to a halt to avoid being impaled on the hawk's sharp talons. This allowed Osprey to come up behind him, bind his hands, and drag him over to the tree to join Ally and Trish.

"Now that we have three of you, it's time to explain our ritual here at Camp Raptor, Everglade," Osprey began.

"We will provide you with food, water, clothing, and shelter," Kite continued.

"Considering you don't try to run away, and you agree to learn our ways and join Camp Raptor," the other boy, who had just joined his siblings in front of the three, said.

"We don't need you to provide for us, we have all that we need back where we came from," Trish said,

"Oh, one more detail," Osprey added, "If you learn our ways, we'll spare your lives."

"You can't kill us, you're just teenagers," Ally said confidently.

"You've seen Talon in action," Kite said, gesturing to the hawk perched on his arm, "and believe me, he's not the only, or even most powerful, weapon at our disposal."

"Wait until you get a glimpse of Bear, he's a thing of beauty, but he'll kill you in about a minute flat if he decides that he doesn't like you," the other boy, who appeared to be the oldest, said.

"Who's Bear?" Dez asked.

"He should be back from the swamp by now," Osprey said.

"Here he comes now," Kite said, pointing to the opposite path, where a Canada goose was waddling toward camp.

"You expect us to be afraid of a duck?" Trish asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"He's a Canada goose, not a duck," the older boy said, clearly angry at Trish for getting that wrong. "And you have no idea what geese are capable of, especially Camp Raptor geese."

"Okay, I'll be afraid of a goose," Trish said, still not believing that he could actually do her harm.

"How about this: you guys just let us go and we'll never bother you again?" Ally suggested.

"I don't think so. You see, we keep a tight schedule here at Camp Raptor, and letting you three go would throw that schedule way off," Osprey said.

"One more question, how can you teach us your ways if our hands are tied behind our backs?" Ally asked.

"Oh, that's just a temporary arrangement," Kite explained.

"Our first order of business is shelter," Osprey began.

"First, we will demonstrate a properly built tent, the lead you all to find your own proper building materials and help you make your own tent," Kite continued. He walked over to the tree and proceeded to untie the trio's hands.

"Now, follow me to a tent that has been properly built," Osprey said, leading the group to the cluster of tents. "Just excuse Buzzard, he's just sorting the edible plants from the poisonous ones."

"Here are the four support beams," Kite said, gesturing to four large sticks at the four corners of the shelter, "After installing those, you weave smaller, longer tree branches and vines in between the four strong, flexible ones."

"Then you make a drape, or roof, by sewing together animal pelts with a bone needle and vine thread. Let me see if I can find some," Osprey explained, walking over to the supply pile and shuffling around to find a short, thin stick of bone with a sharp point.

"This is a needle made from the radius of an alligator," Osprey informed.

"Gross," Trish said, disgusted.

"Cool," Dez said, amazed.

"You then peel apart a vine into fibers and use those as thread, and you have a tent drape."

"Make it slightly bigger that you think it needs to be so that you can hammer it into the ground with bone stakes," Kite recommended.

"Where do you guys get all the bones?" Ally asked suspiciously.

"Don't worry about that, we have plenty left over from previous meals," Osprey said.

"Meals?" Trish said in alarm.

"Well, what do expect us to eat out here, gourmet lasagna?"

"What do you guys eat out here?" Dez asked curiously.

"Plants, gators, rabbits, ducks, and whatever other animals we can find with meat on their bones."

"Cool, I want to try some of that," Dez said.

"Why would you want to try that, Dez?" Trish questioned.

"Because I like exotic food Trish," Dez responded.

"Anyway, tonight we're having alligator meat with whatever Buzzard can find in that pile that won't make us sick," Kite told them, "But for now, let's get searching."

They set out into the woods, Kite leading the pack and Osprey bringing up the rear.

"First, look for a few really strong, bendy sticks to form your support base," Osprey instructed.

"Okay," Ally replied, looking from tree to tree for a branch that matched Osprey's description.

**Did I answer most of your questions? If not, the ones about Gator and Austin should be answered next chapter. Just letting you know, these Raptor people will be SUPER important in future stories, do not let them slip from your minds. I promise, there are more Raptor people to come in the future, and this is going to become a much bigger thing (minor spoiler alert). I can't wait for you guys to see what I have planned for the future stories, it only gets better from here.**

**Please read and review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally**

Chapter 4:

"Man, animals can be so unpredictable, especially the ones with really big teeth," Austin said to Gator, both of them staring out at the water.

"Yep, them toothy ones can really put a dent in ya," Gator replied.

"Geez, it's been almost half an hour since Dez left. I hope they're okay."

"If they're not back in five minutes, we're leaving without them."

"What? Why?" Austin asked, standing up immediately in shock.

"I'm under strict orders to keep you safe."

"So you're going to keep us safe by leaving them in the woods when they may be in danger?"

"Not them, you. I'm under strict orders to keep you safe."

"Why just me, don't you need to keep all four of us safe?"

"No. A fella called Jimmy Star gave me specific instructions, and a decent sizable amount of cash, to keep Austin Moon safe at all costs."

"Well, if you aren't going to help, then I will," Austin said confidently, striding off toward the forest. Gator stood up and tackled Austin from behind, only to have Austin flip around mid-fall and land on his back, hands up and ready to right off the gator wrangler. Gator used this to his advantage, grabbing Austin's wrists with his left hand, and his left shoulder with his right. He yanked his left hand to the left and lifted Austin's shoulder simultaneously, flipping him onto his stomach.

"I've wrangled ten-foot gators before, wranglin' a six-foot pop-star is like wrestlin' a teddy bear," Gator said, pinning Austin's hands to his back.

"Let me go, I have to help my friends!" Austin cried, struggling fruitlessly against Gator's weight and well-practiced grip.

"Fifteen years a gator wranglin' taught me to never let go," Gator said viciously.

"Get off of me! I have to help them!"

"'Fraid I can't do that son. We'd best get back to the boat, I presume yer friends are already dead."

Gator yanked the struggling Austin to his feet, still holding his arms behind his back, and dragged him over to the boat.

"We have to go save them!"

"No can do. Let's get outta here." Gator fired up the boat and they headed back to the hotel.

"Why did Jimmy tell you to only protect me?" Austin asked, finally released from Gator's iron grip.

"He said that you're very valuable and he couldn't risk losin' you again."

"Losing me again? When did he lose me the first time?"

"He said that after the shark incident, he was very worried that you wouldn't make it through. He told me not to let you get into any potential danger."

"So that's why you made me stay with you when Dez went to look for Ally and Trish."

"Correct."

"Well, I'm going after them whether Jimmy allows it or not."

"No you ain't, you saw how I wrangled you before, I'll do it again in a heartbeat."

"With or without the authorities, or your permission, I'm going to rescue them."

"An if they're dead?"

"They aren't dead, what could possibly be out there that killed all three of them?"

"Gators, Burmese pythons, water moccasins, the list could go on an on."

"I don't care, I know they're not dead."

"I'm not lettin' you go out there, even with the police."

"Even you couldn't stop me from going out there to rescue them."

"Wouldja like me to try?"

"No, but I'll find a way to help them.""

"Whatever, if you get attacked by somethin', I ain't sendin' flowers."

"Please, animal attacks are freak occurances."

"Look how well that belief turned out fer you, Sharkboy."

They arrived back at the hotel and climbed out of the boat.

"We'd better hurry up and contact the authorities," Austin said.

"Alright, I'll call the police an tell 'em that we've got three missin' teenagers." Gator pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number of the local police department.

"Hello? I'd like to report three missin' teenagers," Gator said to the person on the phone. "They disappeared into the forest an' never came back. We're 'fraid of what is out there that caused them to not return. Okay thanks officer." Gator hung up the phone.

"So? What's they say?" Austin asked hopefully.

"They're sendin' out a search an rescue helicopter to scan the area."

"But they're in the forest, a helicopter won't see a thing!"

"That's all they can do fer now. If they see anythin' that they don't like, they'll send in people on foot."

"What do we do until then?" Austin asked.

"I guess we sit an wait fer the results."

"Great, why do I feel like I've done a whole lot of that before."

"I've been through just what you've, son."

"At least you could walk around, not worrying about not being able to walk in the future, not just sit around doing nothing!"

"Who says I'm talking about the incident that I described to you earlier?" Gator said with a wild look in his eyes. He then walked out of the hotel, leaving Austin alone with his thoughts. Austin walked through the lobby, up the five flights of stairs, and into the hotel room. He went into his bedroom and sat down on the bed, staring at the wall. He rested a hand on the mottled scar on his left calf, something he often did when he was stressed or afraid, then proceeded to talk to himself, "Ally, Trish, Dez, wherever you are, hold on. I won't leave you in the woods."

**So Jimmy is the reason that Gator is being so overprotective! How many of you actually saw that coming, I'd be really impressed if you did because I left little to no clues about that in Sharks & Shocks.**

**Is this story stacking up so far? I hope you like the chapter length a bit more, I tried to make them longer. If anyone has any questions, comments, or complaints, please just leave them in a review and I'll answer them next chapter.**

**Please read and review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm back with chapter 5! This chapter has a lot more of the Raptors, I hope that they're growing on you guys because they won't go away after this story! (hint hint) In fact, the story after this, Selachophobia & Swims, is pretty much a direct continuation of this story. **

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 5:

Ally sat, with her back to a tree, and was neatly sewing together the pelts of a white-tailed deer and a bobcat. Trish was weaving thin sticks into her half-completed structure. Dez had somehow managed to get himself tangled in a vine that he had tried to weave, and Kite was attempting to untangle him.

"Come on, kid, how do you manage to get so tangled up with just one vine?" Kite asked.

"Kite, Dez manages to get tangled in his own clothes," Trish informed him. Meanwhile, Ally had moved on to begin sewing another pelt, it looked like raccoon, onto her existing drape.

"Wow, you catch on fast," Osprey said to Ally.

"I've sewn before, I'm no rookie," Ally responded flatly, shoving off the complement.

"Have you ever done it with a bone needle?"

"No, but it's not that different."

"Okay."

"This is so much work, how do you guys manage this?" Trish asked, sweating as she continued to weave sticks and vines into her tent.

"You think that's a lot of work?" Kite said, finally finished with his job of untangling Dez, "just wait until you have to catch food."

"Catch food?! You guys don't have a local supermarket or something?"

"Girl, we don't even have a local bathroom. Do you think that we'd have a supermarket?"

"Well, I'm starving, can I have some of the plants that your friend is playing with?"

"Sure, whatever." Trish put down her pile of twigs and walked over to Buzzard, taking a small leaf from his pile. She brought it to her mouth, but just as she was about to put it in, Buzzard smacked it out of her hand with such force, the leaf went flying across camp.

"Hey, what'd you do that for?" Trish asked, rubbing her hand where he had slapped it.

"Because that was poisonwood, it's not edible," Buzzard told her.

"I thought you were sorting the edible plants?"

"Yeah, from the poisonous ones. Here, have some Laurel Oak," he said, handing her another leaf, "this stuff is all over the place, near the river."

"Thanks," Trish said, accepting the leaf. She put it into her mouth, chewed for a second or two, then spit it out in disgust. "Gross, how are you supposed to eat that?"

"Like this," Buzzard explained, "You put it in your mouth," he said as he popped the little leaf into his mouth, "then chew it," he continued, chewing, "then swallow," he finished with a gulp to conclude his unnecessary demonstration on how to eat.

"That stuff is disgusting, I'd rather starve!" Trish exclaimed.

"Fine by me, but you could have some wild cherries instead," Buzzard said, handing her a small, red berry.

"You have cherries out here?"

"Yeah, we find them near the edge of the forest. Plums, too."

"I could eat cherries," she said, popping the little berries into her mouth.

"I'm hungry too," Dez said, joining Trish and Buzzard near the pile of greenery.

"Do you want some Laurel Oak, or are you picky like your friend here?" Buzzard asked.

"Awesome! I love Laurel Oak!" he hungrily grabbed the leaf out of Buzzard's hand and devoured it.

"At least one of you could survive out here. You might be the one we need, but it's too early to tell," Buzzard mumbled.

"Finished!" Ally said proudly from the tree where she was sewing her drape.

"Good job, now go put it on your tent and hammer it into the ground with these," Osprey explained, handing her four sharpened bones and a rock. Ally took the stakes from Osprey and hammered her drape into the ground.

"Congratulations," Osprey said, "the copperheads won't get you tonight."

"Copperheads?" Ally asked nervously.

"You know, the snake."

"Snakes?"

"There are a ton of snakes around here, water moccasins, Burmese pythons, rattlesnakes."

"I've never really liked snakes."

"Well then good luck surviving out here, the place is crawling with them," Kite said.

"Good thing you've finished your shelter, they sometimes like to snuggle. The pelts keep the out, Osprey informed.

"What about the entrance?"

"Oh, I almost forgot," Osprey said. She hurried over to the supply pile, dug around for a few seconds, and pulled out a large piece of alligator skin. "Pin this over the hole, it functions as a door. Snakes aren't heavy enough to push past it."

"Okay," Ally replied, taking the dull green skin and pinning it to the front of her tent.

"So, what are we doing for dinner?" Dez asked, chewing on another piece of Laurel Oak.

"This," Kite said, gesturing to the pile of white meat next to the fire.

"What is that?" Trish asked.

"Alligator meat," Kite answered.

"Cool, I've always wanted to try that!" Dez exclaimed.

"Gross, where do you guys get alligator meat?" Trish questioned disgustedly.

"Same place that we got that alligator skin your friend just put on her tent," Osprey said.

"You guys kill alligators? Aren't they a protected species or something?" Ally asked, alarmed at the thought.

"The laws say that it's illegal to kill alligators for purposes other than survival. We're surviving off of the land out here, we aren't breaking the law," Kite explained. "Besides, we only kill one every four or five months, depending on the size of the previous kill. We once went an entire year on just one alligator and a few rabbits."

"I'm not sure I could even force myself to eat an alligator," Trish complained.

"Suit yourself, if you won't eat what we provide you, you can always go and forage yourself," Osprey said.

"Or starve, that's always an option," Buzzard pointed out.

"I guess I'll have to eat it," Trish sighed, going back to work on her shelter.

"Osprey, is it time yet?" Kite asked.

"Time for what, Kite?" she responded.

"You know, the test," he said, and expression of urgency on his tan face.

"Oh, right. I've been formulating a plan the past couple of hours."

"What is it?"

"I'll tell you. Hey Buzzard, get over here, we need to talk about the next step." Buzzard hopped up and joined them, out of earshot of Ally, Trish, and Dez.

"I know that there's another," Osprey told her brothers.

"Another what?" Kite asked.

"Another person that came here with those three."

"If he finds the camp, he'll ruin the ritual," Buzzard said.

"Wait- how do you know?" Kite asked.

"Well, Captain Condor saw a tall blonde kid on the beach with that old crook, Gator," Osprey began.

"Wait, when did Captain Condor get back? He said he went to visit the Isle of Rapere to check in with everyone," Kite said.

"He lied," Osprey said flatly, "he just wanted to watch us secretly. He stayed in the trees."

"How come neither I or Talon saw him? We're almost always in the trees," Kite said, offended that his father had managed to elude him.

"He avoided you, duh," Osprey responded.

"What did Captain tell you?" Buzzard questioned.

"He overheard this blonde guy talking to Gator, he said that he was coming into the forest to look for his friends," Osprey explained, "If these three need to do the trial, they could help us get rid of him, this will further help along the decision."

"They'd have to kill him to prove their worth and dedication to Raptor?" Kite asked, horrified.

"No, we won't kill him. We're not a murderous people at this point in time. We just need to scare him away so that he doesn't mess with the program. Besides, if we kept him and tried to accept him into Raptor, there's no way he'll conform, he's too headstrong."

"What do they need to do to complete the test?" Buzzard asked.

"Here's what I was thinking," Osprey began.

**So, plenty more Raptors as I said earlier. If you're slightly confused from all this talk about tests, then that's a good thing. I am purposefully confusing you to keep you interested in this story, why would you bother to read the other stories if you don't have any questions that need answering?**

**If you have any questions (I might be able to answer them, if they don't completely ruin my confusion), just leave them in a review and I'll be glad to answer them next chapter.**

**Until next chapter, please read and review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**The resolution to that cliffhanger is finally here! Chapter 6! I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally**

Chapter 6:

"They've been talking for a long time," Ally pointed out, the Raptors still in the middle of a hushed conversation.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Trish asked.

"Maybe they're evil alien warlords and they're planning to suck our brains out!" Dez said.

"Yes, because all evil alien warlords disguise themselves as hobos that kidnap teenagers," Trish told Dez, understandably disapproving of his outrageous theory.

"I think they're talking about the test, whatever that is," Ally said.

"You're probably right. That makes much more sense than the evil alien warlord thing," Trish said, still reprimanding Dez for being Dez. Osprey finished her conversation with the two boys and the Raptors broke the huddle and walked over to Ally, Trish, and Dez.

"We have come up with a test for you to prove your worth and dedication to Camp Raptor," Osprey announced.

"You aren't evil alien warlords, are you?" Dez asked, causing Trish to roll her eyes in annoyance.

"No, we aren't," Osprey said, her strong aura of superiority undermined by Dez's nonsense idea.

"What do we have to do?" Ally asked. Before Osprey could begin to explain the test, a massive six-and-a-half-foot figure clad in animals skins and a bone necklace dropped from the canopy, landing in a cat-like position in the center of the two groups. Ally, Dez, and Trish backed away in fear as the man stood to his full, baleful height. Encircling his massive head sat a ring of bones, making it look like a skeletal snake had rested atop his filthy mop of dark brown hair.

"Osprey, do you know this guy?" Ally asked, cowering in fear at the presence of the terrifying man.

"Yes, he's our dad, Captain Condor," Osprey replied.

"Now what was your question?" Condor asked with a voice so deep and gravelly, it almost wasn't human.

"Wh-what do we have t-to do t-to p-pass this t-test that you s-speak of?" Ally said, stuttering with her sheer terror. Condor broke a small bone off of his necklace and began to pick at his fingernails with it.

"Yes, in order to prove your worth and dedication, or lack thereof, to Raptor, you need to help us with a certain task of ours."

"W-what k-kind of task?" Ally questioned.

"You see, as I was patrolling the beach, I heard this obnoxious kid saying that he would go after his friends whether Jimmy allowed it or not. Does this person sound familiar?"

"I think it might be Austin, what do you guys think?" Dez said.

"Of course it's Austin, you moron," Trish yelled.

"Well, you see, this Austin character can't join our camp, or see it and get away to tell the tale," Captain Condor explained.

"Are you saying that we have to-?" Ally asked, only to be cut off by Condor.

"Yes, this Austin must be eliminated from the forest."

"We have to kill him?!" Trish asked in alarm.

"No, no, we're not a murderous people currently. We just need to remove him from the woods if he comes close to camp."

"How do we do that?" Ally asked fearfully.

"I will allow my daughter and sons to figure that out," Condor said turning to face the three Raptors, "to prove their worth and dedication to me." He left on that ominous note, achieving and impossible leap four feet off the ground. He grabbed an overhead branch in midair and swung away through the trees with the grace of a lemur, leaving Ally, Trish, and Dez in shock at their impending task.

"Now, I'll explain how we deal with your friend," Osprey began. "We place a good, strong vine about halfway between the edge of the forest and camp. We lay this vine across the path, where your friend will no doubt be walking, and garrison two of you in the bushes on either side. You will trip him with the vine, temporarily disorienting him and making the shot easier for you."

"Wait, what shot?" Ally interjected.

"After he's disoriented, you shoot him," Kite told Ally, making the task seem as simple as pushing a button.

"With what?" she asked nervously.

"With this," Kite said, pulling a large bone with a wickedly sharp tip out of his pocket.

"W-what is that?" Ally questioned.

"Don't worry, it won't kill him. It's just a hypodermic bone needle with a tranquilizer in it," Buzzard explained.

"I-I couldn't shoot him," Ally stuttered.

"Well, if you don't, we can always go to plan B," Kite said, Talon landing on his shoulder and glowering at Ally.

"Fine, fine, I'll shoot him. But, where do I aim for?"

"This may sound cruel," Osprey began.

"But the only vein that you actually have easy access to with a decent chance of hitting your mark," Kite continued.

"Is the jugular vein," buzzard finished. "We need you to shoot him in the neck."

The Raptors let that sinister thought sink in as they went to the fire and began to set up the meat to cook. Ally and Trish met each other's gaze, staring at each other in horror at what they would have to do in the near future.

"Hey Raptors," Dez called, nearly oblivious to the somberness that took over Ally and Trish.

"What?" Kite answered.

"Are we going to have lunch?"

"Please, out here, we're lucky to be able to have dinner every night."

"Here, in the forest, we're just another species in the vast animal kingdom. Some animals out here only eat once a week, we can be apex predators and eat a small breakfast and a decent-sized dinner. But we won't be greedy and use more resources than Mother Nature intended us to use. Learn to deal with it," Buzzard lectured.

"Okay," Dez said solemnly.

~0~

Austin stood on the beach near the forest, staring into the thick trees blankly. He had eaten lunch alone in the hotel, the food had been pretty flavorless due to his sorrowful mood.

"I don't care what Gator or Jimmy says, I'm at least going to look for them," Austin said to himself, finding the well-worn path through the brush and taking it through the forest. It was late afternoon, the sun still casting a decent amount of light, and there was plenty of visibility in the forest. But no amount of light could reveal the geniusly-hidden vine that Trish and Dez were to pull when the time was right. The vine lay loosely across the narrow path, scattered with leaves and twigs to create a uniform appearance throughout the stretch of path. Most people wouldn't pay a vine any attention, vut, just in case, the Raptors had dug a shallow hole and buried the vine in a shallow layer of dirt. The only clue that it was there was a half-inch high bump in the dirt, only noticeable if you were looking for it.

Unfortunately, Austin wasn't looking for any sort of trap as he strolled along the path, and Trish and Dez yanked the vine taught just half a second before Austin walked into it. He want tumbling had over heels after tripping over the vine, and somehow managed to land on his back, still facing the direction of the camp. About ten yards ahead, a figure emerged from the woods, wielding an intricately carved bow. She drew the bow, aiming it with extreme accuracy.

"Ally?" Austin croaked, not yet having made an attempt to stand, as he was too much in shock at his friend's display of threat.

"I'm sorry Austin," were the words Ally mouthed before releasing the bowstring, sending the arrow piercing through the air. The hypodermic bone arrow met its mark perfectly, the tranquilizer inside it now streaming quickly through Austin's bloodstream.

**Can you guys believe that she actually did it? I'll bet most of you thought that she would back out. What are your thoughts on Captain Condor? He's an interesting character, he's the minor OC that I mentioned earlier, there's not too much of him in this story. But to give you guys a little teaser, "The Raptors' power stretches far beyond Captain Condor and his kids"**

**I won't comment any more on the matter, but I would love to see your interpretations of that hint, please leave them in your reviews, along with any questions, complaints, or comments, or character questions. I will be accepting and answering questions directed at any of the following characters:**

**-Kite**

**-Osprey**

**-Buzzard**

**-Captain Condor**

**So if you guys want to more about the inner feeling of these characters, just ask them!**

**Until next chapter, please read and review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**The resolution to my latest cliffhanger is here! I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally**

Chapter 7:

Gator kneeled next to an unconscious Austin on the beach, waiting for him to wake up. The bone arrow was still buried deep in Austin's neck. Gator waited for the boy to wake up before pulling it out, partly because he wanted to have him awake so he could alert Gator to complications, but partly to get revenge on him for disobeying his orders. Gator tried to rouse the boy again by jostling his shoulders and shouting his name, but it was to no avail. It must have been a powerful tranquilizer, Austin had been unconscious for at least an hour from the time Gator found him on the beach.

"Can't go to sleep! Might lose leg, might die!" Austin shouted frantically, jerking up to a sitting position as he awoke.

"Careful boy, they gotcha good," Gator said, easing Austin back down.

"Huh?"

"Stay still, I need to pull that arrow outta yer neck."

"What arrow?" Austin questioned, bringing his left arm to feel for the little shaft of bone poking out from his neck. Gator grabbed the arrow in his fist and quickly yanked it out, causing a steady stream of blood to begin pouring from the now open wound. Gator grabbed a bandana from his back pocket and tied it around his neck, holding pressure on the wound.

"Ouch, what was that for?" Austin complained, rubbing his neck through the hankie.

"Them demons gotcha with one a their knock-out arrows," Gator explained.

"What demons?"

"You've never heard a the forest demons?"

"Um, no. I don't think I have."

"Well, every year at the exact same time, a couple tourists go into that very forest and never come out. Many people go in and return without incident, but during late June, at least one person goes missing. Sometimes it's a group of three, and one or two of em return. It's never more than three people. It's weird, like clockwork.

"It's late June right now! Ally, Trish, and Dez are a group of three! They've been taken by the forest demons!"

"You're probably right, but there ain't nothin' we can do about it except wait fer the authorities."

"But I don't think it was the forest demons that shot me. I could've sworn I saw my friend, Ally, fire an arrow at me."

"Ima have to disprove that claim, I'd recognize a demon's hypodermic bone arrow anywhere."

"Man, you're really good at recognizing things."

"Years an years of livin' in this area, and your life comes to depend on your ability to recognize things."

"Why do you think the forest demons would target me?"

"That's a good question, they're a strange people."

"Although, I vividly remember Ally shooting me, mouthing the words 'I'm sorry Austin'."

"It's probably somethin' that they put in the tranquilizer."

"What tranquilizer?"

"Son, they knocked you out quicker than a gator in a coolin' pond!"

"But why would they target me?"

"Honestly, I don't know. Maybe you just stepped onto their territory or somethin'"

"Somehow, I think it's more than that."

"Now, what was I goin' to tell you? Oh yeah, WHAT WERE YOU THINKIN'! YOU COULD'VE GOTTEN YOURSELF KILLED! I SPECIFICALLY TOLD YOU NOT TO GO AND SEARCH FER YOUR FRIENDS!"

"I couldn't help myself, they're my friends."

"Jimmy will be furious with you! Another stupid move like that, and I'll put you on a leash an tie you to a tree!"

"I know, I should've waited for the police, but the hero in me told me to go after them."

"Some hero you are, getting' shot in the neck like that. Let's go," Gator commanded, yanking Austin to his feet and dragging him back to the boat. He started the engine and the boat went back to the hotel.

~0~

The Raptors, Ally, Trish, and Dez sat around the campfire eating alligator meat, Laurel Oak, and wild cherries.

"Well, you three sure proved your worth and dedication to Raptor," Osprey said, chowing down on a piece of meat.

"Yeah, it took a ton of courage to trip and shoot your own friend like that," Kite added.

"I can't think of a better show of complete devotion," Buzzard said.

"It took some adjustment, but I think we're actually starting to enjoy this lifestyle," Ally said, "Right Trish?"

"Um, sure," Trish answered uncertainly.

"I don't know, I like it better before. I miss Austin," Dez complained.

"What was that red?" Kite threatened, Talon coming to land on his shoulder.

"Nothing."

"That's what I thought. Isn't that right Talon?" Kite said, holding up a piece of meat for the hawk.

"We've been here for a day already, can you at least start calling us by our names?" Ally asked.

"Oh, that reminds me. Now that you completed the test, it's time for us to give you your names," Osprey explained.

"But we already have names," Trish said.

"No, you won't use those names here. You need your Raptor names," Buzzard said.

"Buzzard, can I name the hawk-eyed one?" Osprey begged, "Please?"

"Okay, sure," he responded.

"Wait, who's the hawk-eyed one?" Ally questioned.

"You, of course!" Osprey exclaimed.

"Me? Why am I the hawk-eyed one?"

"Are you kidding? You nailed that kid right in the jugular! I've never seen anything like it!" Osprey shouted.

"I hate to say it, but firing that arrow was actually pretty fun."

"Ally, are you crazy? You could have seriously hurt him!" Trish said, upset at her friend's enjoyment in hurting their friend.

"I know, but there was just this fantastic rush to releasing that arrow!"

"We get that all the time around here," Kite said, "the same rush happens when you release an arrow on prey. We call it the Kill Rush."

"I love the Kill Rush! When's our next hunt?!" Ally asked excitedly.

"That was the last of the alligator, we need to get some more tomorrow," Osprey said.

"Anyway, can I name the feisty one?" Buzzard asked.

"I'm not feisty!" Trish said, offended.

"I still get to name you."

"Great, I wanted the redhead anyway," Kite said.

"The feisty one's Raptor name shall be Shrike," Buzzard told Trish.

"What the heck is a shrike?" Trish asked.

"It's a small bird of prey that impales insects and lizards on its own personal thorn tree," Buzzard explained.

"Lovely."

"The red one's name is Falcon," Kite said flatly.

"I like Dez better," Dez complained.

"Well Dez isn't a proper name for a member of Raptor society! Your name is now Falcon!"

"Okay."

"And for you, I was thinking Kestrel," Osprey said.

"Kestrel. It has a nice ring to it. I like it! Kestrel," Ally accepted.

"We've had a long day. Good night everyone," Kite said, walking over to his tent and climbing inside. Everyone followed suit, crawling into their tents (however completed they were) and hunkering down for a night's rest.

**Question, did anybody catch that small snippet of foreshadowing that I hid in the first part of the chapter? It foreshadows the main plot of the next installment of this series, Selachophobia & Swims! If anybody can correctly identify the sentence, I will give them a special shout-out next chapter.**

**So, this Raptor stuff is getting pretty intense? Ally seems to be adjusting well, was Gator referring to the Raptors? How many of them will 'disappear' as Gator mentioned? You will find out eventually!**

**Until next chapter, please read and review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Well, here you have it. Chapter 8 of Disappearances & Dread. Hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally**

Chapter 8:

Austin and Gator stood in the hotel lobby, deer in conversation with a cop.

"Are you sure there was nothing around that seemed weird?" Austin asked.

"We flew over the specified area multiple times and didn't see anything out of the ordinary," the cop, who's nametag read Officer Grick, explained.

"I swear I saw one of my friends out there."

"Officer, he was knocked out just a few seconds after he thought he saw her. I don't think it's reliable information," Gator added.

"We would send in a force on foot if we had proof that they're really out there," Officer Grick said.

"If proof is what you want, then proof is what you'll get," Austin stated, confidently striding toward the door.

"Austin, stop," Gator commanded.

"I want to go!"

"No son! Officer Grick an I'll take care of it. You must stay behind."

"Fine, I'll stay behind. You guys go ahead."

Gator and Officer Grick left the lobby, going to the forest to search. Austin waited until they were a good distance away, then quietly followed. Gator and Grick walked along the marshy riverbank, oblivious to the fact that Austin had found a loophole in their agreement. As they walked, they had a converstion to pass the time on the trek to the coast.

"If I see with my own eyes that his friends have been captured, then I'll send in more men," Officer Grick said.

"I worry that if we don't find anything, Austin will take matters into his own hands and come out here an get himself killed," Gator said.

"He must have some initiative."

"They're his friends, I'd of done the same thin. But I'm under strict orders to keep him outta danger."

"Well, good luck with that," Officer Grick said as they arrived at the edge of the forest, the trail to the Raptors' camp ahead of them.

"I wouldn't walk directly through there if I were you," Austin said, coming out of hiding.

"You said you would stay behind!" Gator yelled.

"I did. I was behind you the whole time. Seriously, don't take the trail. I was tripped when I took the trail," Austin said.

"So what do you suggest we do?" Officer Grick questioned.

"Take to the trees. They can't trip us if we're not on the ground."

"That's insane! We're sitting ducks up there!"

"Not if they don't see us," Austin said, grabbing a low branch on a nearby tree and climbing into the canopy.

"My bet, he doesn't live past thirty," Gator grumbled as he reluctantly followed Austin up the tree.

"I'll bet twenty five," Officer Grick said, joining Austin and Gator in the ascent. After about five minutes of climbing through the trees, they finally arrived at Camp Raptor.

"Are you sure you can handle climbin around like this?" Gator asked Austin.

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Austin replied.

"It's just, with muscle damage comes limited mobility of lower joints. Can you manage this without full usage of you ankle?"

"I climbed all the way here, didn't I? I can do almost anything I want, except running, I don't have the strength to do that very well."

"Guys, be quiet," Officer Grick whispered, "they'll hear us." Below them, at camp, the Raptors buzzed around camp, doing various tasks.

"Do you hear that?" Ally asked.

"Hear what?" Osprey responded.

"It sounds like people talking."

"That's her, that's one of my friends," Austin whispered, tucked carefully in the nook of two branches, "I told you they were out here."

"Well I'll be a cattail's mother-in-law, the kid wasn't delusional after all," Gator said.

"There it is again," Ally said from below, her eyes prowling the surrounding trees, searching for the source of the noises.

"I hear it too," Kite said. Just then, Talon's ear-shattering alarm screech sounded through the clearing, alerting every member of the camp to the presence of intruders.

"Go, go! They'll never let us out alive if they catch us!" Austin commended as he, Grick, and Gator began rushing back through the trees toward the shore.

"There! In the trees!" Buzzard shouted.

"Get them! They can't see the camp and get away!" Osprey shouted. Her, Kite, Buzzard, and Ally sprinted after them on the ground. Ally stopped to grab a bow and quiver of arrows from the supply pile and rapidly fired arrows through the dense trees. Thankfully, they were protected partially form the branches around them, and the fact that Ally was an inexperienced hunter and not accustomed to moving targets. Austin, Gator, and Grick made it to the edge of the forest, climbed down from the canopy and sprinted up the beach.

"Don't bother," Osprey said once she and the group reached the forest's edge, "They're too far away. Even if we manage to catch them, they're out of our domain."

"Isn't that the same guy you knocked out yesterday?" Kite asked.

"Yes, that's Austin. Why is he with a cop?" Ally answered.

"Let's head back to camp, we need to hunt," Osprey suggested.

"Awesome, I call the kill shot!" Ally exclaimed.

"It's great that you're so enthusiastic, Kestrel, but we can't guarantee you a kill shot. You need to be in the right place at the right time."

"I understand, can we go now?"

"Sure, let's just grab some more weapons from camp and head out."

The walked back down the path to camp, the three Raptors grabbed various weapons form the supply pile and they all headed down the path to the river.

"We're going hunting. Care to join?" Buzzard asked Trish and Dez.

"No thanks, we're good here," Trish replied.

"Then you'd better help skin the prey, this is a group effort."

"Okay, fine."

Buzzard followed Osprey, Kite, and Ally down the path toward the hunting grounds, leaving Trish and Dez alone at camp.

"Okay guys. Split up, don't get killed, and shoot anything you see," Osprey instructed.

"Sounds simple enough. Let's go!" Ally said excitedly. The group split up and went in various directions. Ally followed the algae-covered river downstream, constantly on the lookout for motion. Suddenly, a marsh rabbit burst from the bushes and ran away. Ally quickly drew an arrow and fired slightly ahead of the fleeing rabbit. The poor rodent ran straight through the path of the arrow, taking a fatal shot to the flank.

"Gotcha!" Ally exclaimed, gingerly picking up the dead rabbit and placing it in her new pack of animal pelts. "Osprey, I got a rabbit!"

No reply.

"Osprey, where are you?!"

Ally turned around to find Osprey pinned against a tree, a ten-foot gator blocking her escape. Osprey cowered, too scared to utter a sound, when the gator lunged, mouth agape, and grabbed her by the backpack, which she had been holding in front of her as a feeble shield. Osprey held on to the pack as the gator dragged it into the water, preparing for the kill.

**Cliffhanger! What will Ally do? What will the authorities do now that they have proof? Questions answered next chapter, the final chapter. If anybody wants to ask one of the Raptors a question, feel free to do so in a review, they'll be happy to answer! I'll try to post next chapter within three to five days, until then, please read and review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I give you, the final chapter of Disappearances & Dread! The story after this, Selachophobia & Swims, is basically a direct continuation, with a different main idea. (Drama and Angst) I hope most of you will follow me onto the next story, and the one after! It would really mean a lot to me if you read it too.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally**

Chapter 9:

"Hey big mouth! Let her go!" Ally yelled, drawing a hypodermic bone arrow and carefully aiming it. She released the string, and the arrow lodged itself in the alligator's eye, causing it to release Osprey and thrash around in agony. Ally ran over to the shore of the river and helped Osprey out of the water.

"Are you okay?" Ally asked the soaked Osprey.

"Yeah I'm fine, just bruised," Osprey replied, out of breath.

"You had me worried."

"You nailed that gator in the eye! How did you do that?!"

"I guess the adrenaline gave me superhuman accuracy skills or something. Now let's get it back to camp."

"What was in that arrow?"

"I don't know, it was labeled, 'IT' venom. What's 'IT' venom?"

"It doesn't matter, he should be dead. 'IT' venom is the most potent we have available."

The two girls grabbed the dead gator by the tail and dragged it out of the water. Kite and Buzzard arrived from upstream, their packs bulging with their prey.

"Sweet, you got a gator!" Kite exclaimed.

"How'd you manage that?" Buzzard asked, amazed.

"It was all Kestrel, she shot him in the eye with an 'IT' venom arrow," Osprey exclaimed. "All I did was be the bait."

"Thanks Kestrel, we'll eat like vultures tonight," Kite said.

"You're welcome, let's get it back to camp," Ally responded. Buzzard and Kite grabbed the alligator's tail and dragged it back to camp. They laid it in the center of camp and dropped some small rabbits from their packs next to it. Ally placed he rabbit next to their rabbits and stepped back to admire they day's catch.

"Shrike! Falcon! You need to help skin the prey!" Buzzard shouted.

"Buzzard, don't we need to do the ceremony?" Osprey asked.

"Osprey, not in front of them. They're not ready for the ceremony, Captain Condor will excuse us just this once."

Trish and Dez emerged from their tents, yawning and stretching.

"Did you guys take a nap?" Kite questioned.

"Yeah, so?" Trish said, still yawning.

"You were asleep while Osprey nearly became an alligator's lunch!"

"You point?"

"Kite, calm down. This helps with the artificial selection for the Isle of Rapere. You two better be good at stripping gator meat," Osprey said. Out of the blue, an authoritative voice rang out through the clearing.

"We have you surrounded! Release the kids or be arrested for kidnapping!" the voice demanded.

"This isn't how it normally plays out," Buzzard said, backing up to form a defensive triangle back-to-back with his siblings. Just then, Austin heroically burst from the trees, backed by a cop and Gator.

"Release my friends, you demons!" he shouted.

"Austin, you came back for us! And you brought the police!" Dez yelled, running over to him alongside Trish.

"I'm so glad you found us! I couldn't sleep another night in that tent!" Trish said.

"Release all of them!" the voice commanded.

"Kestrel, we can't hold you here against your will. You can go home with the others," Osprey said sadly.

"Who says I'm here against my will?" Ally asked.

"Wait, you like it here?" Osprey said, seeming utterly flabbergasted.

"Definitely, this place is fantastic."

"Ally, they can't keep you here any longer, you can come home with us," Austin said.

"Austin, I'm not Ally.

"What? Then who are you?"

"I'm Kestrel, worthy and devoted member of Camp Raptor. And I'm staying here."

"But I worked so hard to rescue you."

"I'm sorry, but I like it here. I don't have to stress about anything, it's just me and the wilderness."

"But, what about our music?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't need to stress about that out here. It's peaceful, it's tranquil, I love it here."

"Austin, we can't make her come if she wants to stay," Gator said.

"Okay, I guess I can't make her. Goodbye Ally, I'll tell your dad that you aren't coming home," Austin said dejectedly.

"I told you, my name is Kestrel. Now get out before I shoot you again!" Ally commanded.

"So it was you! Why would you do such a thing?!" Austin said.

"I had to prove my worth and devotion to Raptor. Besides, my life kinda depended on it at the time."

"I guess this is goodbye."

"Austin, let's go," Trish said. Austin, Trish, Dez, Gator, and a steady stream of police officers slowly walked down the path toward the beach, leaving Ally alone with the Raptors.

~0~

I can't believe she didn't want to come back with us," Austin said, "she threw everything away, her career, my career, everything!"

"She'll change her mind, she'll come back," Trish consoled.

"How do you know for sure?"

"She's my best friend, I know she'll realize her mistake."

"Trish, we leave in five days! What if she doesn't change her mind before we go back to Miami?"

"Don't worry, Austin, she will."

"Meanwhile, you need help to overcome your selachophobia," Dez said.

"Who, me?" Austin asked, "What's selachophobia?"

"The fear of sharks."

"Where'd you learn that?"

"I got a shark trivia book after the accident to learn about sharks."

"Why didn't you share it with me?"

"I don't know, I just never thought about it."

"I would've died to have something entertaining to read. Ally my mom would bring me were school textbooks and mattress catalogues."

"Shark trivia is entertaining?"

"More entertaining that physics, trigonometry, or the newest down mattresses."

"Be careful when you say that you would have died for something."

"Why?"

"They may not have told you this, but you very nearly did die. Your heart stopped for a few seconds."

"How come you never told me this? I think I'd like to know if I were dead!"

"You weren't dead, just maybe for a second or two."

"Why would you tell me this now?! It wouldn't help my selachophobia if I had it! Which I don't!"

"I saw your reaction to those blacktip shark jaws, you were really freaked out! And I kept this from you because it was too horrible for me to talk about! When you were going into shock, that was the most scared I'd ever felt in my life? I thought I might lose my best friend."

"Why would you think that? You knew that I would come back out, right?"

"You didn't live it from our perspective! We didn't know if you would return. You don't understand what it's like to almost lose your best friend! You didn't see how sick and helpless you looked! You had the easy part, the physical pain. Our job, the emotional pain, was far worse!"

"Why does this upset you so much? I'm the one who nearly died!"

"Even if you had died, at least you wouldn't have lost your best friend!"

"Even if you had lost your best friend, at least you wouldn't have died!"

"You just don't get it!" Dez screamed, rising from his seat and storming out of the kitchen.

**The end of another story, I hope you all liked it. I promise, I'll have Selachophobia & Swims up by tomorrow, you won't have to wait long. I know most authors don't leave cliffhangers between stories like this, but bear with me, the wait won't be long at all. I wanted to divide the stories in two because they have different themes, this introduces the Raptors and all the wilderness survival stuff, so it's more adventure. The next story focuses more on the stuff you just read, Austin and Dez reliving the parts of Sharks & Shocks that I didn't reveal to you for this very reason, I wanted to save it for next story. If you haven't read Sharks & Shocks, and are just scraping by on this story, please read it, Selachophobia & Swims will have so much more meaning with the context.**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed this story, and I hope you will review my next one! Unti Selachophobia & Swims, please read and review!**


End file.
